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COVENANT AND HOME SCHOOLING

The following was taken from a Newsletter
written by Mr.Slabbert Le Cornu.Mr. Le Cornu lives in South Africa
from where he sends this Newsletter. Translated from the Afrikaans by Gilbert
Zekveld.

THE
EZRA REPORTNov
4, 1998

Mr. Le Cornu writes:
"Some people are very anti home school, but I myself -although I see more advantage
in home schooling - would like to see private schools and home schools working
TOGETHER to advance God's Kingdom here on earth."

In the Covenant God gave His children to us
with the intent, that we would give these children back to Him. To obey this,
means that the parents according to the promise given at the baptism of their
children, shall make use of all means at their disposal, in order to faithfully
fulfill this promise. Most parents make use of private schools and public
schools, as expedient to "cause their children to be instructed therein".
However, the last thirty years, a "forgotten" means to bring up children has
made a welcome comeback, i.e., the "home school." Advancing educational and
technological developments during the past couple of decades, have made it
possible for parents to educate their covenant children at home. The intention
of this home-instruction, runs parallel to the purpose and intent of
the parents, who by the grace of God are given, not only the means for
the child to mature bodily into adulthood, but also the means to instruct
them in the disciplines that are normatively offered in the schools.

In the U.S.A. there are about 1.2 million families
that home school their children, this has far reaching consequences for both
the area of faith and the area of academia. Within our denomination here in
South-Africa there still is much ignorance in this respect and many people
have wrong notions about home-schooling. Therefore it is good to give attention
to the following aspects of home schooling from a reformed view.

1 The Purpose of
Reformed Home schooling

Covenant parents are in Scripture admonished
to bring up their covenant child in the fear of the Lord "that he might
rightly know God his Creator, heartily love Him, and live with Him in eternal
blessedness to praise and glorify Him" (H. Cat. question and answer 6";
Deut. 6: 5).In connection with the baptismal promise Dr.
B. Holwerda taught, that we are first baptized in the Name of the Father,
our Creator. This means that all the cosmos belongs to the Lord Creator.
Therefore Reformed education is directed to all areas of life, which by His
Church, (of whom those children are a part), must be regained.

In the second place, we are baptized in the
Name of the Son, which means that the antithesis must be maintained - for
or against Christ - also maintained in the curriculum and method of teaching.

In the third place, we are baptized in the Name
of the Holy Spirit, which signifies that the Spirit calls and gives the capacity
to teach Reformed education, not only to teachers, but also to the parents.

In these three points, both home schooling
and private schooling, must be Reformed.

2. The Responsibility
and Organization of Reformed Home schooling

Covenant parents are obliged in Scripture to
bring up their children in the fear of the Lord, in order for them to love
and serve God and their neighbour (Deut. 6: 4-9; Ps. 78: 1 -10; Eph. 6: 1,
2; 2 Tim. 1: 5; 3: 15-17; etc. The demand to bring our children up in the
fear of the Lord comes in connection with the covenant. Deut. 6: 4-9, begins
with: Hear, therefore, 0 Israel, …." and then follows the specific demand,
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and talk of them
when thou sittest in thy house…" (see also Ps. 78: 5).

When our children are baptized, the parents
promise to bring up their children in the fear of Israel, [the Church] is
witness and "expedient" that watches and assists the parents in their task
and responsibility. Historically we see, that as a rule the parents taught
their children, not only in the academic area, but also when they learned
an occupation. It was done with the necessary support and help of a/o., the
Church, priests, slaves, catechism classes, etc.

With the industrial revolution, the explosion
of technical know-how, and the division of labour, etc., more and more specialization
was introduced, and parents thought it necessary to establish schools that
offer specialization in many areas. That school model was established with
good intentions, but was gradually changed into an independent institution,
which later changed even more and began to function against the Church and
the family. This led to the absolutizing and academizing the children's upbringing,
and their upbringing became the task of "experts".

Although the Reformed parental school did
not theoretically accept this gradual decay, it unfortunately practically
led to the upbringing of covenant children becoming the task of the Church
and school as an institution, instead of the centrally within the covenant
family. J. Veenstra, director of the Reformed basis school at Emmen, the
Netherlands, describes the decay as follows:

"In spite of this, the school
plays a large role in the upbringing of the child. That role can become
so great that the school becomes an educational institution, and the family
degrades into a hotel, where the child comes, only to eat and sleep...
Now, at the end of the twentieth century, where marriage and family is
more and more under political and societal pressure, considering the place
and task of our family and the place and task of our school has become
extremely important."

We must ask ourselves today, if as parents, we
are still bringing our children up in the fear of the Lord by making use of
Church and school, and if we do not delegate that task to other persons and
institutions? Do we just take our children to Church and school thus leaving
them in the care of others?

Concerning the triangle of family, school and
Church, this is a healthy concept in as far as it is not made an absolute
working against the sake of family and Church. We can also ask the question,
if it would not be better to speak of a twofold relationship for the upbringing
of our children, which should be in the first place: family and Church; rather
than seperate institutions outside or next to the family and Church.

We must remember that the Lord established three
basic institutions in which the covenant must function, i.e., the Family,
Church and State (Gen. 1: 26-28; 2: 24; Matt. 16: 18; Rom. 13: 1-7). Other
supporting institutions - among which the school - must live under this divine
principle and not function independently. This aspect is very important when
we give a judicious judgment in the matter of home schooling.

3. The Content
and Method of Home schooling

Deuteronomy 6: 7,8 points to the fact that all
our thinking ('between our eyes") and all you do (hands), must be in service
of God. Therefore, the Word of the Lord cannot be restricted to family and
Church life only; for, as Scripture teaches: " ... on the way, when you lie
down, when you rise up, etc." - in all you do - you must be led by the
law of God. This is one of the advantages of home schooling, that the child
experiences education and upbringing as a way of life and not as something
that is done only on certain hours of the day, at school, or in Church, catechism
classes, or society life.

At home they learn diligently, have work to
do, they can play, everything according to the law of the Lord. Therefore,
home schooling must not take place in isolation, for in Deut. 6: 9, parents
are also shown the extension of covenant upbringing: "And thou shalt write
them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates". Thus, private life (the
home) but also society (thy gates) must be brought under the dominion of Christ
by Reformed instruction.

Covenant instruction begins in the home,
but does not end there, for it flows over into a life in the covenant,
in both Church and all the broad areas of society. In the covenantal home
the children are taught the first principles of how to seek God's will
and honour. Totius, the foundational church and Afrikaner leader in the
first halF of the twentieth century in S.A. wrote, and rightly so,

"History proves when the family
is sound, both Church and State flourish. The family is the foundation
of human society. Give as thus Reformed families and the Church will prosper.
Otherwise we certainly will face a dark future."

May this be a prophecy for and not
against the Reformed Church in South Africa!

4. Practical Considerations
Concerning Home schooling

It is important to mention that home schooling
does not mean that the parents must be the only teachers, but it does mean
that the parents are the primary educators and instructors, who then can call
for help and assistance with the subjects and skills they are not qualified
to teach. But with all the means and technological possibilities that are
at our disposal today, it is for the average covenant parent possible to do
mostly or even all of the teaching for the primary grades.

When our parents once more take upon themselves
this noble task, we will have one more possible practical advantage, in that
there is already a Reformed High school (exchanging the current John Calvin
primary school to an high school) at our disposal, which could specialize
in training parents how to instruct their children, and at the same time also
offer special subjects and courses for the children.

Home schooling promotes greater responsibility
by the parents for the development of the children. It is also not as costly,
for there are no salaries to be paid, school buildings are not needed, etc.
Parents can give more and better attention to individual needs, while each
child can take the time it needs to learn the lesson, without keeping other
children from further progress. Parents and especially mothers will be compelled
to remain students, of both God's Scripture and of Nature, a task that was
very much left to the Pastor and the Teacher.

The role of Mother as homemaker and educator
of the children is then again appreciated and emphasized, for home schooling
demands hard work, much studying and sacrifice, but the results are greatly
blessed. Furthermore, a parent can only teach the law of God to their
children, when this is part of their own heart and life (Deut. 6: 6); it is
also true that parents can maintain better discipline and authority over their
own children. The method of home schooling demands more independent studies
from the child, and prepares them better for after school training. Tests
in the U.S.A. have proven that home schooled chidren mature faster, socialize
better and are more responsible than children from ordinary schools.

Finally we can mention that the very demanding
church activities, school activities, and pressures from society, have taken
their toll of family-life. From this individualism has sometimes sprung up
to the point that each member of the family has its own program and agenda,
and so they begin to live beside, but not with each other. Home schooling
can be instrumental in bringing the covenantal life back to the family, back
to its rightful place, thus better serving the Church of Christ, and the propagation
of His Kingdom over all the earth (Is.59:21).

Conclusion and
Suggestions

One of the challenges for parents in South Africa
who intend home schooling, is establishing a Reformed curriculum in the Afrikaner
language, with the situation at home in view. The work that has been done
already in connection with private schools, can in this respect be of great
assistance for home school development. Here, the unity of life in the covenant
can again be maintained and mutual knowledge, skills and experience about
Reformed upbringing be shared with each other.

Finally: In answering where and how I will rear
my covenant child, home schooling is a responsible, Reformed option that merits
solid consideration, especially with a view to the present developments in
South African schools. Reformed home schooling is and must not be individualistic,
and must not work in isolation of Church and society. We must work together
as covenant parents, in order to stimulate a Reformed vision of education
and way of life. As with private schools, the view of the covenant and calling
in home schooling shall be determined by the purpose, content and method of
the instruction, and also by the faith, character, and view of life, of parents
and teachers.

Let us be careful in this respect and not
rashly develop a critique of something of which we are largely ignorant,
without having made solid research, before truly concluding the matter.
As parents of covenant children let us strengthen each other when we wish
to instruct our children in the way of the covenant; and in prayer and
deed, humbly depend upon the Lord, with our eyes directed to the calling
and task before us, as Prof. B. Holwerda said at one time:

"The mouths of little ones,
including the tatter of babes, is a mighty instrument that He will use
to break the rule of Satan, and whereby He will establish His Kingdom and
re-conquer the world. ... the motive of the great enemy (the antithesis
brought about by Christ) must again move us. Let us work to establish this
in all the areas of life; in all relationships, the Name of God must again
be hallowed. Then we, most of us as parents of covenant children, will
truly know what Christian education is, and stand behind it! Then we will
be immovable like our fathers, and say: Here we stand we can do no other.
Here on earth we confess the Name of the Lord! We will give our children
to no one else, or for anything else, never".

Translation: Gilbert Zekveld.

For Cross and Crown, Slabbert
Le Cornu

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